Athletes sign on dotted line this week

Ten Burnsville High School seniors signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Photo submitted

More than three dozen student-athletes from the Sun Thisweek coverage area were recognized by their high schools Wednesday, when the National Letter of Intent early signing period began.

The early signing period runs through Nov. 20. The signing period for several other sports, including football and soccer, begins Feb. 5, 2014.

Apple Valley

Two-time state champion Seth Gross had his choice of national wrestling powers and signed with Iowa. Gross, who was 69-7 in his last two high school seasons, also won the USA Wrestling Junior National freestyle championship at 132 pounds. Several former Apple Valley wrestlers have gone on to wrestle for Iowa, most recently four-time Minnesota state high school champion Charlie Falck, who completed his career at Iowa in 2009.

Volleyball captain and senior defensive specialist Janelle Lam will go to the University of Sioux Falls, a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Apple Valley boys basketball star Tyus Jones is scheduled to announce his college choice Friday afternoon.

Burnsville

Ten Burnsville High School student-athletes were scheduled to sign with colleges Wednesday. Four of them are volleyball players – Greta Geist (who will go to Southwest State), Kacie Hagen (Minnesota, Crookston), Alyssa Muelken (Minnesota, Crookston) and Lauren Randall (University of Mary). Southwest State, Crookston and Mary all play in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Vivian Hett, the 2013 state girls Nordic skiing runner-up, will ski at Northern Michigan University. Girls hockey players Emma Wittchow and Lindsey Coleman will continue their careers in Division I at Minnesota State, Mankato. Georgi Donchetz of the girls basketball team also will go to Division I at Valparaiso University.

Alexis Dobrzynski, a state meet qualifier in girls swimming, will swim for the University of Indianapolis. Kallie LaValle, who helped Burnsville’s girls lacrosse team reach the 2013 state tournament, will play that sport at Grand Valley State in Michigan.

Eagan

Two members of Eagan’s 2013 state Class 3A volleyball championship team signed with colleges Wednesday. Taylr McNeil, the Wildcats’ top hitter, will go to South Carolina, where she will join her sister Kellie, a redshirt sophomore for the Gamecocks. Taylr McNeil’s younger sister Madeline, a junior at Eagan, has verbally committed to South Carolina but can’t sign a National Letter of Intent until November 2014.

Kelly Madison, the volleyball team’s libero, will play at Minnesota-Duluth.

Eastview

Katie Uittenbogaard signed to play softball at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D. The school also included soccer player Paige Wilberding in its signing ceremony Wednesday. Wilberding was unable to play high school soccer as a senior because of an injury but will play in college at the University of Nebraska. Wilberding will graduate from high school early and is expected to be enrolled at Nebraska when the signing period for soccer players begins Feb. 5, 2014.

Lakeville North

No fewer than 17 Lakeville North seniors were to sign National Letters of Intent during a Wednesday morning ceremony at the high school.

J.P. Macura, one of the state’s top boys basketball players in the class of 2014, was to sign with Xavier after verbally committing to the Musketeers in early September.

Alyssa Goehner, the 2013 Ms. Volleyball award winner, will go to Marquette. She verbally committed there before her sophomore season in high school. Joining her at Marquette is Lakeville North libero Abby Monson, who like Goehner was a five-year varsity regular for North.

North senior right-side hitter Sami Flattum will play Division I volleyball at Kansas State.

Girls hockey players Dani Sadek (Ohio State) and Christi Vetter (Penn State) are headed to the Big Ten Conference. Their teammate, Alexis Joyce, will play for a Division I program at Bemidji State.

Two state-meet-bound swimmers, Zoya Wahlstrom (Kansas) and Alena Bodnaruk (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) also signed this week.

Brothers Bobby and Freddy Thomas, two of the top returning players in Minnesota high school boys golf in 2014, will remain teammates after high school as both will attend DePaul.

Erika Rozell is going to the University of Minnesota to play softball. Also going from Lakeville North to college softball programs are Jessica Meidl (Minnesota State, Mankato), Katie Parker (Augustana) and Michaela Zins (North Dakota).

Ryan Bergman, who trains at Classic Gymnastics in Chanhassen and has competed in the U.S. Junior Olympic Championships, will join the University of Minnesota men’s team.

Marissa Pronschinske is headed to the cheerleading/dance program at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa.

Lakeville South

Softball pitcher Kylie Stober is one of four Lakeville South athletes scheduled to sign this week. Stober will go to the University of Minnesota.

Katie Quandt, a 6-foot-4 post player, was to sign with Boston College. Mitch Herrera, who finished fourth in two distance freestyle events at the 2013 Class AA boys swimming meet, will swim for Columbia University. Brooke Galle is headed for Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., to play women’s lacrosse.

Twin brothers Carter and Conner Yepsen were to sign to play lacrosse at Robert Morris University during Rosemount High School’s signing day ceremony Wednesday.

Grant Jackson, a sprinter on the Irish’s boys track and field team, will compete in that sport at the U.S. Military Academy. Hannah Grim will play women’s basketball at Marquette. Sawyer Murray, a qualifier for next week’s state girls swimming and diving meet, will compete in diving at the University of North Dakota. Ashlee Humble will play golf at Minnesota, Crookston.